Since 1893, Reading Terminal Market’s intersecting halls of technicolor signs and aromatic smells have been indicative of the feast that’s to come. “Eat oysters, love longer” is displayed in neon green above Pearl’s Oyster Bar, “Cheese Boats” in a fluorescent yellow describes the hot ticket food at Saami Somi, and even Profi’s Creperie’s neon eiffel tower will preface a French sweet treat.
More than 70 vendors under one roof come together to reflect the flavors of Philadelphia and their respective corners of the world from which their cuisine originated. A city with a legendary food scene is condensed into one room to bring you the most diverse range of options you’d ever find within the bounds of one block.
Tackling the totality of the market would be a feat not even the most gluttonous could accomplish, but to cover as much ground as humanly possible will be enough to satisfy the stomach and stimulate the mind. After all, the lengthy process of elimination in choosing which merchants are worth your finite stomach space is a mental exercise that requires strength and restraint.
Here are the spots to hit if you’re looking to strategically take on Reading Terminal Market.
Pearl’s Oyster Bar
For starters, grab a counter seat at Pearl’s Oyster Bar for some fresh seafood. Order a half a dozen oysters, or perhaps a raw bar sampler, and start your journey through Reading Terminal off with something a bit lighter. This is a marathon, not a sprint, so take the seafood as your warm-up. Besides its delicious fresh seafood, it doesn’t hurt that this spot has a plethora of seating for its customers – or at least a plethora by comparison to the main seating area where an open table can only be found by pure luck.
Beiler’s Donuts and Pickle Patch
Hit this spot specifically for the pickles – and yes, pickles are a perfectly suitable appetizer. No worries, we will circle back to dessert later. Barrels full of brine line the counters of this vendor, with any variety of pickle at your disposal. If you have a decent tolerance for spice, opt into their hot pickle slices. Otherwise, their giant dill pickle has an unbeatable crunch, rendering it a solid option amongst the others.
Saami Somi
Saami Somi is serving up some of the best that Reading Terminal Market has to offer. As a Georgian-inspired spot, Saami Somi blends Georgian and American food to bring a new kind of cuisine to the halls of Reading Terminal. Notable for their cheese boats and their dumplings, Saami Somi is a must-hit merchant in the market. Mix together a raw egg yolk and melted cheese housed in a bread-boat, tear off pieces of the bread soaked in the mixture and watch the dish play the disappearing act right before your eyes. It’s so good, it’s sure to be gone in seconds.
El Merkury
El Merkury is a Central American street food stand in the center of Reading Terminal Market. It came to fruition through a lengthy series of pop-ups serving Guatemalan and Salvadorian food, opening in Reading Terminal Market in 2021 just three years after finding its flagship residence on Chestnut Street. To finish off your appetizer course, order their Salvadorian Pupusas or their Arroz con Elote to sample two of this spot’s most popular dishes.
Olympia Gyro
Let’s move into the handheld portion of this program – with Olympia Gyro as the perfect place to start. There’s nothing better than a good comfort meal, and I firmly believe that the Gyro is too often overlooked as one of them. A warm pita stuffed with beef and lamb gyro meat, tzatziki, tomatoes and onions sounds like the perfect meal – perhaps paired with some old bay fries or a refreshing greek salad.
Herschel’s East Side Deli
A pastrami sandwich from Herschel’s East Side Deli is probably one of the best things you can get in Reading Terminal Market. The meat is tender, juicy and well seasoned, piled high between grilled rye bread and your preferred fix-ins to come together as an unbeatable bite – and what deli sandwich is complete without the accompaniment of a dill pickle spear? Certainly not this one. Herschel himself once worked in New York City’s notorious Katz’s Deli, so he certainly knows a thing or two about a good deli sandwich. Grab a seat at the counter, or try your luck at a table in the food-court style dining area.
Hunger Burger
A bite of a burger is better when the patties have a purpose. At Hunger Burger, their “buy one, feed one” concept serves their local community simultaneously with their customers in Reading Terminal Market. Burgers, fries, shakes and sides are their game, all of which are worthy of a slice of your stomach space. Order their Hunger Burger to get in on a classic option, and pair it with their Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese or their scalloped potatoes.
Sang Kee Peking Duck
I’d say this one is fairly obvious. You truly can’t go wrong with anything on the menu at Sang Kee Peking Duck – the merchant in the market which pulls its menu from its original location in Philadelphia’s Chinatown. Walk up to this stand to see a full peking duck in its window and order a taste of your own by the pound. Follow it up with fried dumplings to finish off your final savory plate on this itinerary.
Termini Brothers Bakery
Even after all of that, there’s always room for dessert. Termini Brothers has been serving Scicilian sweets since 1921, placing value in the tradition and authenticity established by the Termini Brothers from the start. All of these years later, the third generation of Termini Brothers is maintaining this standard just as those who came before them. Though the cases filled with treats will be enticing in their entirety, the cannoli is what entitles this merchant as the best sweet spot in Reading Terminal Market.
Famous 4th Street Cookie Company
Full yet? Let’s hope not, because this last merchant is one you won’t want to miss. As one of USA Today’s top 10 best cookies in the country, Famous 4th Street Cookie Company doesn’t get its name from nowhere. These renowned cookies are baked fresh every day using the same recipe for almost 40 years. You can’t go wrong with a classic chocolate chip, but venturing out towards their other flavors won’t disappoint either. Order them by the dozen, or just grab one for the road.
Reading Terminal Market provides a convenient place to grab a quick meal to go, but doing so would overlook all that the Market has to offer. It’s a destination of culture and chaos, easy to get lost in its halls. Every corner of the market has something unparalleled to offer – you’ll undoubtedly find yourself leaving satisfied even when venturing beyond this list.
